Sports Betting 101
As sports betting becomes more popular, it is important to understand how to bet responsibly. While there are no guarantees when it comes to sports betting, you can reduce your risk by doing your homework and understanding the numbers. A strong bankroll is also essential to success, as most bettors lose more than they win. By following these tips, you can be one of the few that come out ahead.
In the United States, laws governing sports betting vary by state and jurisdiction. A federal law called PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) established a nationwide ban on sports gambling until 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned the ban, allowing individual states to establish their own sports betting regulations. The result has been billions in revenue for the sports leagues and new opportunities for bettors to make wagers on their favorite teams.
When making a sports bet, you must first select the sport on which you would like to place a wager. Once you do, a list of available games and ways to bet will appear. Once you click on a specific bet, the potential payout and odds will appear in a pop-up window. After you have inputted your desired wager amount, simply click “confirm” to place the bet.
Depending on the sport, there are various types of bets you can place. The most basic is a moneyline bet, which is a wager on a team to win. The odds for each team are displayed next to their names, with positive and negative signs indicating how risky the bet is. The lower the negative sign, the more likely the team is to win.
Another type of bet is a point spread, which gives an advantage to one team over another. The number assigned to the spread is often in increments of a half-point, although very few sports use 0.5 points. The number is designed to avoid a push, in which both sides get their money back.
Aside from point spreads and moneylines, bettors can also place bets on team totals and props. Props are short for proposition bets, and they can include anything from player statistics to game outcomes. In some cases, bettors must pay a higher price to lay props than they would for standard wagers. For example, if you bet on Scherzer to hit 10 strikeouts in his next game, you will pay more for that prop than a regular bet on a team to score a touchdown.
To increase your chances of winning, be sure to shop around for the best lines. Different sportsbooks have different clienteles, and you may find that a particular book is pricing its lines differently from others. This can make a huge difference in your EV, so it’s worth having access to multiple sportsbooks to compare lines. In addition, most sportsbooks offer a variety of promos and bonuses, including free bets and odds boosts. To see what promotions are available in your area, check out our Betting Promos Page.